S ER M. refentment of them; words informing us, how we

should entertain God's chaftisements, and whence we must seek relief of our preffures (that we should receive them, not with a scornful neglect or fullen infenfibility, but with a meek contrition of foul; that we should entirely depend on God's pleasure for support under them, or a releasement from them); words which, in conjunction with those following, do fhew how inftantly we should quash and over-rule any infurrection of natural defire against the command or providence of God. We must not take that prayer to fignify any purpose in our Lord to fhift off his paffion, or any wavering in refolution about it; for he could not anywife mean to undo that, which he knew done with God before the world's foundation; he would not unfettle that, which was by his own free undertaking and irreverfible decree: he that fo often with fatisfaction did foretel this event, who with fo earnest defire* longed for its approach; who with that sharpness of indignation did rebuke his friend offering to divert him from it; who did again reprefs St. Peter's aniJoh. xviii. miofity with that ferious expoftulation, The cup which my Father hath given me, jhall I not drink it? who had advisedly laid fuch trains for its accomplishment, would he decline it? Could that heart, all burning with zeal for God, and charity to men, admit the least thought or motion of averfeness from drinking that cup, which was the fovereign medicine adminiftered by divine wifdom for the recovery of God's Matt. xxvi. creation? No; had he fpake with fuch intent, legions of angels had flown to his rescue; that word, which framed the worlds, which stilled the tempefts, which ejected devils, would immediately have fcattered his enemies, and dafhed all their projects against him wherefore those words did not proceed from intention, but as from inftinct, and for in

II.

53.

* Επιθυμίᾳ ἐπεθύμησα. Luke xxii. 15.

struction;

XIX.

ftruction; importing, that what our human frailty S ER M. was apt to fuggeft, that his divine virtue was more ready to fmother; neither did he vent the former, but that he might exprefs the latter.

He did exprefs it in real effect, immediately with all readiness addreffing himself to receive that unfavoury potion; he reached out his hand for it, yielding fair opportunity and advantages to his perfecutors; he lifted it up to his mouth, innocently provoking their envy and malice; he drank it off with a moft fteady calmnefs, and fweet compofure of mind, with the filence, the fimplicity, the meeknefs of a lamb carried to the flaughter; no fretful thought rifing up, no angry word breaking forth, but clear patience, enlivened with a warm charity, fhining in all his behaviour, and through every circumftance of his passion.

Such in his life, fuch at his death, was the practice of our Lord; in conformity whereto we alfo readily should undertake whatever God propofeth, we gladly fhould accept whatever God offereth, we vigoroufly fhould perform whatever God enjoineth, we patiently should undergo whatever God impoleth or inflicteth, how crofs foever any duty, any difpenfa-· tion may prove to our carnal fenfe or humour.

To do thus, the contemplation of this example may strongly engage us; for if our Lord had not his will, can we in reafon expect, can we in modefty defire to have ours? Muft we be cockered and pleafed in every thing, when as he was treated fo coarsely, and croffed in all things? Can we grutch at any kind of service, or sufferance? Can we think much (for our trial, our exercife, our correction) to bear a little want, a little difgrace, a little pain, when the Son of God was put to discharge the hardest tasks, to endure the foreft adverfities?

But farther to enforce these duties, be pleafed to caft a glance on two confiderations: 1. What the

CC 2

will

SER M. will is to which, 2. who the willer is to whom, we XIX. muft fubmit.

I Thef. iv. 3.

1. What is the will of God? Is it any thing unjuft, unworthy, or dishonourable, any thing incommodious or hurtful, any thing extremely difficult, or intolerably grievous, that God requireth of us, to do or bear? No: he willeth nothing from us, or to us, which doth not beft become us, and most behove us; which is not attended with fafety, with ease, with the folideft profit, the fairest reputation, and the sweetest pleasure.

Two things he willeth; that we should be good, and that we fhould be happy; the first in order to the fecond, for that virtue is the certain way, and a neceffary qualification to felicity.

The will of God, faith St. Paul, is our fanctification: What is that? what, but that the decays of our frame, and the defacements of God's image within us, fhould be repaired; that the faculties of our foul fhould be restored to their original integrity and vigour; that from moft wretched flaveries we fhould be tranflated into a happy freedom, yea, into a glorious kingdom; that from defpicable beggary and .bafenefs we should be advanced to fubftantial wealth, and fublime dignity; that we fhould be cleanfed from the fouleft defilements, and decked with the goodlieft ornaments; that we fhould be cured of moft loathfome difeafes, and fettled in a firm health of foul; that we should be delivered from those brutish lufts, and those devilish paffions, which create in us a hell of darkness, of confufion, of vexation; which difhonour our nature, deform our foul, ruffle our mind, and wrack our confcience; that we fhould be endowed with thofe worthy difpofitions and affections, which do conftitute in our hearts a heaven of light, of order, of joy, and peace; dignify our nature, beautify our foul, clarify and cheer our mind; that we should efchew those practices, which

never go without a retinue of woful mischiefs and S E R M. forrows, embracing those which always yield abun- XIX. dant fruits of convenience and comfort; that, in fhort, we fhould become friends of God, fit to converfe with angels, and capable of paradife.

I

II.

God, faith St. Paul again, willeth all men to be 1 Tim. ¡i, faved: he willeth not, faith St. Peter, that any manPet. iii. Should perish. He faith himfelf, yea, he fweareth it, gek.xxxiile that he hath no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked fhould turn from his way and live. And what is this will? what, but that we should obtain all the good whereof we are capable; that we should be filled with joy, and crowned with glory; that we fhould be fixed in an immoveable ftate of happiness, in the perpetual enjoyment of God's favour, and in the light of his blifsful prefence; that we should be rid of all the evils to which we are liable; that we fhould be releafed from inextricable chains of guilt, from incurable ftings of remorfe, from being irrecoverably engaged to pafs a difconfolate eternity in utter darkness, and extreme woe? Such is God's will; to fuch purposes every command, every difpenfation of God (how grim, how rough foever it may feem) doth tend. And do we refufe to comply with that good will; do we fet against it a will of our own, affecting things unworthy of us, things unprofit able to us, things prejudicial to our best interests, things utterly baneful to our fouls? Do we reject the will that would fave us, and adhere to a will that would ruin us; a foolish and a fenfelefs will, which, flighting the immenfe treasures of heaven, the unfading glories of God's kingdom, the ineffable joys of eternity, doth catch at fpecious nothings, doth pursue mifchievous trifles; a fhadow of bafe profit, a fmoak of vain honour, a flash of fordid pleasure ; which paffeth away like the mirth of fools, or the crack- Ecclef. vii. ling of thorns, leaving only foot, black and bitter, be- 6. hind it.

SERM.

5.

II.

XIX.

But at least ere we do thus, let us confider, whose will it is, that requireth our compliance.

It is the will of him, whofe will did found the Pfal. cxlviii. earth, and rear the heaven; whofe will fuftaineth all things in their existence and operation; whofe will is the great law of the world, which univerfal nature in all its motions doth obferve; which reigneth in heaven, the bleffed fpirits adoring it, which swayeth in hell itself, the curfed fiends trembling at it; and fhall we alone (we pitiful worms crawling on earth) prefume to murmur, or dare to kick against it?

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It is the will of our Maker, who together with all our other faculties did create and confer on us the very power of willing: and fhall we turn the work of his hands, the gift of his bounty, against him?

It is the will of our Preferver, who, together with all that we are, or have, continually doth uphold our very will itself; fo that without employing any pofitive force, merely by letting us fall out of his hand, he can fend us and it back to nothing and fhall our will clafh with that, on which it fo wholly dependeth; without which it cannot fubfift one moment, or move one step forward in action?

It is the will of our fovereign Lord, who upon various indifputable accounts hath a juft right to govern us, and an abfolute power to difpofe of us: Sam. iii. ought we not therefore to say with old Eli, It is the Lord, let him do to me as it jeems good to him? Is it not extreme iniquity, is it not monftrous arrogance for us, in derogation to his will, to pretend giving law, or picking a station to ourselves? Do we not manifeftly incur high treafon against the King of heaven, by fo invading his office, ufurping his authority, fnatching his fceptre into our hands, and fetting our wills in his throne?

It is the will of our Judge, from whofe mouth our doom muft proceed, awarding life or death, weal or woe unto us and what fentence can we expect,

what